Model Airplanes

Bill Winters began flying early. As a high school student growing up in Point Pleasant, in Mason County, he learned how to fly small Piper Cubs, landing them on land and water.

He moved up to far bigger planes after joining the Air Force in the years leading up to World War II.

On a table in the living room of his Cross Lanes home rests a model of the twin-engine B-25 combat bomber in which he often flew as a crewman, amassing more than 80 missions during World War II.

But, on the auspicious day of Dec. 7, 1941, he never got a chance to get into the air where he was stationed at Hickam Air Force base, at Pearl Harbor, before waves of Japanese planes attacked.

“We came to the mess hall through the kitchen and got our food and went out in the mess hall and had our meal,” recalled Winters, who is 98. “We heard the siren go off, and we didn’t think too much of it.”

That would quickly change. The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service struck just before 8 a.m., inflicting one of the deadliest surprise attacks in American history.

“They just caught us with our pants down. No warning whatsoever,” Winters said.

The assault lasted less than two hours. But it killed more than 2,400 soldiers and civilians, wounded 1,000 more, and destroyed or damaged more than 300 American airplanes and 20 ships.

At Hickam, 189 personnel were killed, and more than 300 wounded, according to official accounts.

“They just snuck in

Article source: https://www.wvgazettemail.com/life/pearl-harbor-survivor-looks-back-on-hard-to-believe-day/article_34a77bce-078b-54a4-918b-75f4f5aeafdb.html

John was born in Oregon City, Oregon, 10 minutes before his twin sister Anne. He and Anne joined parents Dr. Frank and Eveline Mount and four older sisters – Jane, Carol, Evie and Ginger.

John is a 1947 graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire where he was a member of the Aeronautics Group. Since the age of 10, John was fascinated by airplanes. It was then that he commandeered a small building in the family’s yard in Portland and converted it to his workshop where he built assorted model planes. This abiding interest led him to earn a private pilot license and fly his own small plane. Later, he built and flew radio controlled airplanes and in 1998 was the prime mover in the formation of the Orcas RC Aircraft Society.

John volunteered for military service after his schooling, serving three years in the Navy during the Korean war. He was stationed in Pearl Harbor aboard a destroyer escort that captured a North Korean vessel trying to run the blockade in Wonsan Harbor, North Korea. He was rapidly promoted, attaining the rate of Electronics Technician Second Class by the time of his discharge in 1953.

He, his wife Peggy (née Nordstrom) and young daughter moved to Orcas in 1954. John was hired shortly thereafter by locally-owned Inter Island Telephone Co. to switch its system from hand-crank phones to dial phones. The new phones, however, lacked the ability to produce a dial tone. John devised a solution that brought dial tones to

Article source: https://www.islandssounder.com/obituaries/john-mount-april-15-1929-october-26-2017/

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Article source: http://www.postbulletin.com/life/lifestyles/model-planes-make-veteran-think-of-brave-souls/article_4d96250d-8751-5db7-9b80-262f2770d17c.html

Zach Cozzolino has taken a peek at his stats this season.

“They’re not too bad,” the senior quarterback said.

Not bad? South High coach Ryan Goddard offered a different opinion.

“They kind of make your eyes pop a bit,” he said.

Indeed they do.

Cozzolino threw for 2,411 yards and 39 touchdowns during the regular season, leading Class 4A in both categories. The 39 TD passes is best in Colorado, while the 2,411 yards is seventh.

It’s been a major part of a Colts offense that ranked third in Class 4A in scoring, averaging 45.5 points per game. Cozzolino will lead that offense into the postseason this week, facing Montrose in a first-round game set for 1 p.m. Saturday at Dutch Clark Stadium.

“It’s not all me,” Cozzolino said. “It’s the team, and I couldn’t do it without what they do for me.”

There certainly is a lot of truth in that. Cozzolino’s impressive numbers mean there are plenty more for the Colts.

Senior receiver Marcell Barbee has caught 51 passes for 955 yards and 17 TDs. Fellow senior Thomas Pannunzio has 34 receptions for 673 yards and 12 touchdowns. Jesse Anzar and Jeremy Cody each have five TD catches, and senior running back Steve Brock has rushed for 1,202 yards and eight TDs.

South had 4,234 yards during the regular season, second in Class 4A, and was the best passing team.

“Zach has always been a really good quarterback,” Goddard said. “He’s just taken the next step this year.”

Cozzolino last season completed 90 of 191 passes for 1,545 yards and

Article source: http://www.chieftain.com/sports/football/prep-football-colts-flying-high-with-cozzolino-at-controls/article_b46fa47b-72c4-516e-90e2-2fc2fc07d9cd.html